Her jaw drops and she glares at me like I was the one who insulted her. “What’s so memorable about her?”
My blood goes cold.
“Way more than you,” is all he says, squeezing my hand like he’s silently telling me I’ve got your back.
The girl ends up leaving with a huff, and the others scoot down to make room for us, while Teddy points out two other guys to me. Daire and Murray. No idea if I’ll be able to remember all these names, but I’ll try my best.
“You hungry? Thirsty? What do you want to drink?” Teddy passes me a menu, nuzzling my neck when he does.
“Um I’ll have a margarita.” I feel like such a basic bitch for ordering one, but they’re my favorite, and I haven’t had one in way too long because I can’t waste my money on frivolous things.
“Sure thing, babe. What about food? I’m going to get a burger.” He plays with a strand of my hair, wrapping the dark curl around his finger. Leaning in, he glides his nose over the column of my neck, and I gasp. I feel him grin as he pulls away.
I read over the menu, only giving it a cursory look, and ask for the vegetarian sliders.
Teddy slides out of the booth to go place our order at the bar, leaving me all alone with his friends. Panic begins to unfurl inside me.
“So,” Zoey turns to me, “you and Teddy, huh?”
She sounds curious and amused.
“Me and Teddy,” I echo, nodding my head a bit too vigorously.
Cole leans around his girlfriend and I find my breath catching at how hot he is. “I always knew someone would steal his heart one day. He said you guys met just before break but didn’t say where.”
“Oh, um,” I tuck a piece of hair behind my ear wracking my brain for the agreed upon tale, “I work at The Burger Palace, so that’s where. He came in and sat in my section. He was very tenacious, wouldn’t take no for an answer, and now here we are.” I give a tiny shrug, like that it explains it all.
Zoey laughs, bumping my shoulder with hers. “That sounds like Teddy. He’s like a dog with a bone.” Sobering, she adds, “He’s sweet and deserves someone who likes him for … well, him.”
“He’s a good guy.” I spot him weaving through the crowd, my margarita and his beer in each hand.
Sitting back down, he slides my drink in front of me. “Here you go, babe.” He kisses my cheek and I jolt, startled by his easy affection.
I’ve never been a touchy-feely person, but he obviously is. I’m going to have to get used to it, so I don’t look like I’m crawling out of my skin every time he touches me. Plus, since this is supposed to look real to everyone, touching and kissing need to be involved.
“Thanks.” I wrap my hand around the glass, taking a sip of the alcohol. It’s not too strong, which I prefer, but it should give me a nice, pleasant buzz. It’ll help me get through this night and that’s all that really matters.
Teddy leans into me, his nose grazing my cheek. We look like two lovers whispering sweet nothings as I curl into him so we’re in our own private cocoon.
“Can you at least try to look like you’re not having a stroke and actually enjoy my presence?” He doesn’t sound pissed, more like amused.
“Sorry. I’ll do better.”
He gives me a reassuring smile. Inhaling a deep breath, I plaster a smile on my face.
“How did you and Cole meet?” I ask Zoey. She seems nice, and even a little quiet like myself.
Her fingers clasp around a bottle of root beer—an interesting choice for a bar.
“Teddy actually introduced us when I needed a place to live and Cole needed a roommate.”
“Look at you.” I grin at Teddy. “I didn’t know you were such a matchmaker.”
“What can I say?” He tips a bottle of Zombie Dust in my direction. “I’m a real romantic at heart.” He throws his arm around my shoulders, tugging me impossibly closer until I’m practically in his lap. His warm lips touch the side of my forehead, my eyes fluttering closed. An embarrassing happy sigh passes, unbidden, through my lips.
My eyes fly open, and I look at Teddy to see if he heard, and if the shit-eating grin he’s wearing is any indication, then he definitely did.
Thankfully, I’m saved from saying something that might mortify myself further when the waitress drops off our food.
Teddy digs into his burger like he hasn’t eaten all day.
“Are you a junior?” Zoey asks me and I smile appreciatively at her effort to carry on the conversation.
“No, I’m a senior.”
“Ah, so you’re graduating with these guys then.” She indicates Cole, the guy named Mascen I haven’t spoken to yet, and Teddy. “The rest of us are juniors. What are you studying?”
“Communications.” I pick up one of the sliders and take a bite before I continue. “I want to get into public relations. Or at least that’s the plan.”
“Have you and Teddy had classes together before?”
I glance at my boyfriend for the moment. He looks a little lost at the question and I frown. “Yeah, we have. We shared a class last semester for communications theory and two last year.”
Teddy looks at me in surprise, and I know he doesn’t remember me at all. If he’s worried I’m offended, I’m not. The classes are huge and it’s impossible to know everyone in class. If Teddy wasn’t so popular on campus, I wouldn’t have been aware of him, and I only ever really saw him in passing because we never sat in the same sections.
“Do you have any together this semester?” She picks at the sticker on her bottle.
“No, not this time.”
I feel Teddy staring intently at the side of my face.
“Aw, that’s too bad.” Zoey frowns. “Especially now that you guys are together.”
“It’s truly a Greek tragedy.” I don’t mean to be sarcastic, but sometimes it just slips out.
I’ve barely finished eating when Teddy grips my hand, tugging me out of the booth.
“Let’s dance.”
“I don’t dance,” I grumble, trying to extricate myself from his hold.
He ignores me, sweeping me onto the middle of the dancefloor. ‘Funny’ by Zedd plays loudly through the speakers. Hand on my waist, Teddy yanks me against his body until we’re practically flush. My breath catches at the intensity in his forest green eyes.
“How is it possible we had classes together and I only just noticed you?” I feel the rumbled vibrations of his voice against me.
I shrug. “I don’t stick out in a crowd. Classes are big and we were never put in a group together for an assignment, so how would you notice me?”
His Adam’s apple bobs. “I should have.”
I look away, the intensity in his gaze doing something strange to me.
“It’s really not a big deal.”
He grabs my chin, tipping my head up. “It is to me.”
My breath catches, brows furrowing in puzzlement. “Why?”
His lips turn down, not quite a frown, more like he’s trying to puzzle something out. “Because I should have,” he settles on.
I look at him like he’s crazy, but I don’t say anything because frankly my brain seems to have emptied of words.